This document helps health departments assess local vulnerabilities to the health hazards associated with climate change. By conducting a climate and health vulnerability assessment, a health department can better identify which people and places in their jurisdiction are more vulnerable to particular human health effects that can result from climate change. Such an assessment can then be used to implement targeted public health interventions to reduce negative public health impacts.

This guide offers a conceptual framework on how to define vulnerability to climate change, using terms and definitions found in the health and climate change scientific literature. It is part of the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework developed by the Climate and Health Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.